10/04/12 With fall underway, students at many high schools and colleges are rolling up their sleeves in more ways than one.
Every year, students nationwide join the American Red Cross as blood donors and blood drive sponsors, all in an effort to help hospital patients in need. Students coordinate blood drives throughout the academic year, with many blood drives concentrated in October and November, and then again in March and April. And student-run drives are sometimes open to the public—including alumni.
High schools and colleges sponsor about 19 percent of Red Cross blood drives in the coverage area of Indiana, Michigan and Ohio. Donors through these drives can range in age from 16 to 25, and give about 30 percent of blood collected in the parts of Indiana, Michigan and Ohio served by the Red Cross.
At many schools and colleges, annual blood drives are a long-standing tradition. On average, 93 out of 100 blood drives repeat year-after-year at high schools, and about 90 out of 100 at colleges and universities.
UPCOMING AMERICAN RED CROSS BLOOD DRIVES IN OUR AREA INCLUDE:
- Thursday, Oct. 11, from 11:30 a.m. until 5:30 p.m. at the Knights of Columbus in the Hall, located at 901 E. Jefferson St. in Plymouth.
- Saturday, Oct. 13, from 12:30 p.m. until 4:30 p.m. at Indiana National Guard in the Training Room, located at 1220 W. Madison St. in Plymouth.
How to Donate Blood
To schedule an appointment to donate please call 1-800-RED CROSS (1-800-733-2767) or visit redcrossblood.org for more information. Individuals who are 17 years of age (16 with parental permission in Indiana), meet weight and height requirements (110 pounds or more, depending on their height) and are in generally good health may be eligible to donate blood. Please bring your Red Cross blood donor card or other form of positive ID when you come to donate.
